Hearing that, Rian merely gave a crooked smile, his gaze fixed on Saber—more precisely, on the unseen something she held in her hands.
"What you're holding…" Rian said casually, his tone half teasing. "I can feel its aura. Holy, sacred… a symbol of humanity's hope, right? Mind if I take a guess?"
Those words only heightened Saber's vigilance. Her expression hardened, her brows knitting together, every nerve in her body poised for combat.
"A guess?" Saber replied coldly, her voice edged with provocation. "After I cut you down… will you still be able to guess?"
With both hands tucked into his pockets, Rian shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes closing for a brief moment.
"How scary," he said lightly, his tone unchanged. "In that case, I won't guess after all."
Nearby, Shirou was just about to open his mouth, intending to ask the purpose of Rian and his Servant's appearance.
But before he could speak, Rian suddenly raised his right hand and snapped his fingers—a simple signal that served as an order to Larva.
Following the command, Larva swung her small hand. In the very next instant, the world seemed to stretch—time slowed, every second drawn out unnaturally long.
From the ground beneath Saber and Shirou's feet, jagged stone spikes began to surge upward, shooting straight toward their bodies.
Saber's instincts caught the danger immediately. "Shirou!" she shouted sharply, turning toward her Master.
Her golden hair lifted with the motion, as if every strand could be counted. Saber reached out, grabbing Shirou tightly.
Her muscles tensed, her feet slammed into the ground. Dust and tiny fragments burst upward, hanging sluggishly in the air.
Then their bodies were lifted—what would have been a swift leap in normal time now looked like slow, floating flight within the distorted flow of time.
Moments later, the razor-sharp stone pillars—nearly ten meters tall—erupted fully from the earth, obliterating the spot where they had stood just seconds before.
Soil sprayed outward, shards of rock and thick clouds of dust scattering in all directions.
Yet within the slowed world, it all resembled a rain of shattered glass falling in silence, creating a dramatic tableau of an attack that had nearly claimed their lives.
When Saber's feet finally touched the ground again, time returned to normal. She stood firmly in place, her body shielding Shirou, her breathing steady—but her gaze sharp and filled with vigilance.
In that single, drawn-out breath, life and death had nearly traded places.
"Hahaha…"
Rian's laughter suddenly rang out, just before Saber and Shirou could check on each other. Instinctively, they both turned their heads, looking toward Rian.
Rian lowered his right hand, then slipped it back into his pocket.
"Interesting… you managed to evade a sudden attack from my Servant?" Rian said casually, a crooked smile forming on his lips. "You're impressive, Saber."
Then Rian tilted his head slightly, glancing at Larva standing beside him. "Mom… could you take Saber down for me?"
Larva looked at him with a gentle smile, lifting her chin slightly.
"My child," Larva replied calmly, "Saber possesses tremendous power. If Mom fights seriously… it may drain a great deal of your energy. Are you sure that's all right?"
"Don't worry," Rian replied lightly, his shoulders lifting in a relaxed shrug. "Mom's allowed to drain this handsome guy dry until she's satisfied."
Larva's eyes—pink with a cross-shaped pattern—closed for a brief moment. A small laugh slipped from her lips, light as a summer breeze chiming through bamboo bells.
"If that happens," Larva said softly as she opened her eyes again, "you might not be able to get back up afterward."
As those words left her mouth, Larva shifted her gaze toward Shirou and Saber. She then swung her right hand in a casual motion.
In an instant, a barrage of mana bursts formed—shooting forth like bullets of light, tearing through the air toward Shirou and Saber.
In a split second that felt stretched thin, Shirou heard the pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears. Saber immediately stepped forward, placing herself in front of him like a living shield.
Excalibur, still shrouded in Invisible Air, swung swiftly—slashing and deflecting the incoming mana bursts raining down upon them.
Several shots were knocked aside, flying wildly before crashing into the ground and nearby buildings.
BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!
A chain of explosions erupted, engulfing the street in roaring flames and thick dust that billowed up into the night sky.
A faint smile curved Rian's lips. In a fraction of a second, he spoke casually, "Mom, get ready."
Before Larva could respond, the world seemed to slow once more. The dust that obscured their vision gradually parted, revealing Saber—already poised to strike.
Excalibur, still shrouded in Invisible Air, was leveled straight ahead.
Saber lowered her body slightly, the blade held close to her face. Her right leg bent forward, left leg braced behind—an impeccable thrusting stance.
With a single explosive step, Saber shot forward like lightning, thrusting straight toward Larva.
Larva reacted instantly. Her small body drifted backward, her right hand extending forward.
At the exact moment the distance between them shrank to barely thirty centimeters, a barrier of wind manifested, halting Excalibur's advance.
The next instant, time resumed its normal flow. A sharp impact rang out—the clang of metal striking an unseen barrier.
Larva did not try to block the attack completely. Since both sides were thinking the same thing—creating distance from their respective Masters—she instead allowed herself to be pushed back by Saber's thrust.
As a result, only the two Masters remained at the center of the battlefield—Rian and Shirou—standing face to face, separated by roughly ten paces.
"Y-you… what is your real objective?" Shirou asked. His voice was firm, yet heavy with caution.
"My objective?" Rian repeated flatly. "What if I told you… that I want to kill you?"
"K-kill me?" Shirou frowned, his voice turning strained. "Don't joke—"
"Joking?" Rian cut him off coldly, his words as sharp as a drawn blade. "Isn't that perfectly normal? In a Holy Grail War, Masters and Servants kill each other for the Grail, don't they?"
A thin sneer crept onto Rian's lips, his gaze piercing. "Besides… an idiotic, justice-obsessed, naive fool like you—why are you even in this war?"
He lifted his chin slightly, his tone dripping with scorn. "So tell me—what do you actually want from the Holy Grail? You already know, don't you? That chalice only chooses those it deems 'worthy' to fight in this war."
Hearing that, Shirou fell silent. Both of his hands tightened around the wooden sword, his expression hardening.
His eyes trembled for a brief moment, but he soon clenched his teeth and held his breath.
"I… don't need to answer questions from someone like you," Shirou said, though his voice sounded stiff.
His grip on the wooden sword tightened further, as if to reaffirm his own resolve.
"Even if I'm naïve or an idiot like you say… I won't run. I fight for justice. To protect others."
Rian merely let out a soft chuckle. His gaze grew sharper as he leaned forward slightly.
"Justice, huh? Pretty words from a boy who doesn't even understand the price of idealism."
"If I told you that your justice would end up sacrificing even more people," Rian continued, his tone growing colder and sharper, "would you still force yourself to walk that path?"
Shirou fell silent once more. This time, it wasn't hesitation—but a storm of thoughts raging in his mind, struggling to form an answer.
Before Shirou could open his mouth, a violent impact echoed through the air. From the side, Saber was blown away and slammed into the ground between Shirou and Rian.
The asphalt cracked and caved in, fragments scattering as dust billowed up and filled the air.
As the dust slowly settled, Saber's figure came into clear view. Her body was covered in wounds, her armor cracked, and she knelt on one knee to support herself—Excalibur, still shrouded in Invisible Air, serving as her brace.
"Saber!" Shirou cried out in panic, immediately rushing to her side.
When he reached her, Shirou looked at Saber's face with deep concern. "Your injuries… they look serious. Are you alright?"
Saber let out a heavy breath, yet she maintained her dignity.
"I am accustomed to conditions like this on the battlefield," Saber replied firmly, though her voice wavered slightly.
Then Saber shifted her gaze to Shirou and asked, "And you, Shirou? Are you unharmed?"
Shirou tightened his grip on the wooden sword, suppressing his fear. "I… I'm fine," he answered shortly, though he was clearly shaken.
On the other side, Rian merely watched the two of them in silence. A faint smile curved his lips, as though he were observing a drama whose outcome he had already foreseen.
Moments later, Larva floated closer and gracefully set her feet down beside Rian. This time, however, her appearance had changed drastically.
A long white gown enveloped her body, and her aura felt more mature—elegant, yet undeniably dangerous. This was Larva's full potential as Rian's Servant, a form vastly different from her initial manifestation.
Shirou's and Saber's gazes were immediately drawn to her. Saber narrowed her eyes and spoke with palpable tension:
"You… are clearly no ordinary Servant. What exactly are you? And your attacks… for some reason, they directly oppose my sword."
___
Note: Ouch... Sorry everyone. My body wasn't in good condition the other day, sob... I wanted to update. It's quite comfortable now.